Daughters lead tearful tributes to Australia stab victim David
TWO of stabbing victim David Walsh’s young daughters bravely took to the altar to speak in his honour at his funeral.
There were emotional scenes as Mr Walsh’s family and friends yesterday gathered at St Aidan’s Cathedral in his hometown of Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
His brother Patrick told the gathered congregation how his three little girls – Ava, Áine and Erin – “meant everything to him”.
And there were tears as eight-year-old Erin and Ava (11) spoke in memory of their tragic father.
Ava, who will return to the same church this Saturday to make her Confirmation, read a poem urging mourners to “see all he’s left”.
“You can shed tears that he is gone or you can smile that he has lived,” she said.
“You can close your eyes and pray that he’ll come back or you can open your eyes and see all he’s left.
“Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him or you can be full of the love you shared.”
Erin’s young voice barely reached above the din as she paid a quiet tribute.
Mr Walsh, known as ‘Motcha’, was stabbed to death in Sydney, Australia, in the early hours of Saturday, February 18.
His fiancée Tina Cahill (25) has been charged with murder.
Parish priest Fr Odhran Furlong spoke of the devastation that had visited the family.
“David was 29 years of age, much too young, much too young to die,” Fr Furlong said.
The church was packed with family and friends who came to bid farewell to the young father.